Pelosi Ally George Miller to Leave Congress

Speaker of the House Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) and Rep. George Miller (D., Calif.) listen during a news conference on the healthcare reform bill July 17, 2009 on Capitol Hill in Washington.

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Rep. George Miller (D., Calif.) said Monday he won’t seek re-election in November after serving 20 terms in Congress. Mr. Miller, a liberal who has been a champion of labor rights, education and environmental issues since he was elected at age 29 in 1974, is a top ally of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, a fellow Californian.

In a statement on his congressional website, Mr. Miller wrote: “I’m proud of what I have been able to accomplish on behalf of children, working people and the environment, in my district and for our country, especially passage of national health care reform. Now, I look forward to one last year in Congress fighting the good fight and then working in new venues on the issues that have inspired me.”

The congressman is one of the last of a generation of Democrats known as “Watergate babies,” a group of liberals elected in the mid-1970s who pushed House reforms that weakened the seniority system. When Mr. Miller steps down, Rep. Henry Waxman (D., Calif.) will be the only continuously serving member of the group left in the House.

Mr. Miller said in an interview with Politico that his decision is not related to Democrats’ chances of attaining a majority in the House in November and is instead due to his four-decade tenure in the House. “I’ve immense confidence in [Ms. Pelosi],” he said, adding that he is “energized by our freshman class, their diversity, their enthusiasm.” “I am comfortable that it is the right time,” he said.

Mr. Miller has served as chairman of three committees during his tenure, including the Select Committee on Children, Youth and Families, the Committee on Natural Resources, and the Committee on Education and Labor, where he was a leader on issues of workers’ rights, public land protection, and campaign finance reform. He also served as co-chairman of the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee for 10 years before stepping down last January.

The congressman has played a large role in pushing minimum wage legislation in the House, sponsoring a bill last year with Sen. Tom Harkin (D., Iowa) to raise the federal minimum wage to $10.10 per hour from $7.25. President Barack Obama endorsed that bill last month. He was also a key player in pushing the Affordable Care Act through the House in 2010 and has called it one of his proudest achievements. Mr. Miller was also instrumental in developing student loan reforms and the No Child Left Behind Act, which he has since pushed Congress to improve and better fund.

He has served as a close adviser to Ms. Pelosi since she joined the House in 1987, and was dubbed by Washington Post columnist Richard Novak as the leader’s “consigliere” in 2007. In a statement, Ms. Pelosi thanked Mr. Miller for his service and praised his “inspired and inspirational leadership.” “His dedication to the issues and his excitement for the legislative process are infectious and undiluted by the years he has served or the challenges he had faced,” Ms. Pelosi said.

Mr. Miller has also long shared a house on Capitol Hill known as “Animal House” with Sens. Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) and Dick Durbin (D., Ill.). Following Mr. Miller’s announcement Monday morning, Mr. Schumer tweeted, “Seeking roommate. 20 terms in the House & unmatched legislative record preferred. Lover of cold cereal a must.”

Mr. Miller, 68, said his father, a California state senator, inspired him to run for office. “As a youth, I watched my father use his elected position to really help people, and I told myself, ‘That’s what I want to do when I grow up,’ “ he said in a statement. “Since I came to Congress 40 years ago, I’ve woken up every day asking myself the same question – ‘What is my opportunity to do some good today?’”

He thanked fellow members of the House and said, “I’m proud of what I have been able to accomplish on behalf of children, working people and the environment, in my district and for our country, especially passage of national health care reform.”

He also outlined his goals for the remainder of the year, which include extending long-term unemployment insurance benefits—a top Democratic priority going into 2014—as well as fixing the No Child Left Behind Act, enacting an overhaul of immigration laws, and easing college affordability through the Higher Education Act.

House Speaker John Boehner issued a warm statement praising Mr. Miller’s dedication and “willingness to work for the greater good.” The two collaborated on the No Child Left Behind Act on the education committee, when Mr. Boehner was chairman and Mr. Miller was ranking Democrat. “No one would confuse me and George Miller for ideological soul mates, but during our years serving together on the Education & the Workforce Committee, we got things done on behalf of the American people,” Mr. Boehner said.

Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Rep.Steve Israel (D., N.Y.) called Mr. Miller “one of our most thoughtful and successful lawmakers” and said his legacy will live on.

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